


A Gift from Light

by AkatsukiShin



Category: Bjyx, Chinese Actor RPF, Real Person Fiction, 博君一肖, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, CEO Wang Yi Bo, Delivery Boy Xiao Zhan, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Impaired Hearing, M/M, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Slice of Life, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:29:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29404113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkatsukiShin/pseuds/AkatsukiShin
Summary: The year of the Ox is approaching, and soon after the day to commemorate love.Amidst their busy days and difference of life, Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo have been each other's safe place and source of comfort. On this special occasion, how would Xiao Zhan express his feelings for his special person?
Relationships: Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan | Sean, bjyx - Relationship, 博君一肖 - Relationship
Comments: 18
Kudos: 100





	A Gift from Light

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Spot of Light](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24920941) by [AkatsukiShin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkatsukiShin/pseuds/AkatsukiShin). 



> A little after-story of my previous fic "A Spot of Light".
> 
> I don't think it's completely necessary for you to read that one before this, but if you do, thank you very much. ^^
> 
> Anyway, Happy 牛 Year and Happy Valentine's Day 2021, everyone!

A constant, persistent vibration on his pillow roused Xiao Zhan awake. His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and when the eyelids fluttered open they revealed a pair of drowsy dark spheres within. The first thing he saw was the old, dilapidated ceilings of his studio apartment, and next the glimmer of sunlight piercing through the thin curtain covering his windows.

All was dyed in complete silence. The same old view, the same old home.

In what seemed to be a habitual movement, Xiao Zhan reached under his pillow and pulled out his cell phone. The alarm had gone off, and it wasn’t until he snoozed it that the stubborn vibration finally stopped. Putting the device back on the bed, he rubbed his still heavy eyes, only to feel that his entire body was also heavy, as though a huge load was sitting flat atop him. When Xiao Zhan looked down, a little smile inadvertently rose to his face.

It wasn’t the same old view and home, after all.

Wearing a warm, long sleeve hoodie and tucked under the only blanket on the bed, Wang Yibo was lying on top of him, sleeping soundly. His face was turned sideways on Xiao Zhan’s chest. Rather than hugging him like one would to a body pillow, the younger man was quite literally making him into his own mattress. Despite the blanket covering the both of them, Xiao Zhan could still see his back rising and falling slightly in regular tempo. It appears that the phone’s strong vibration did not wake him up. Either he was really a heavy sleeper, or it was because this person was not exactly sleeping on the bed, but on him instead.

_ “A pity that I should wake him up.” _

Xiao Zhan thought this to himself fondly. He then reached out to a nearby table where he’d placed his hearing aid. Upon putting on the device, finally there was a little bit more sound around him although it was still pretty quiet nonetheless. The distant sound of cars dashing on the road outside, birds chirping on the trees, and the faint heaves of the younger man’s rhythmical breathing.

“Yibo. Yibo, wake up.”

He called, but as expected there was no answer, not even the slightest bit of reaction. Xiao Zhan tilted his head, peering into the younger man’s face. He poked Wang Yibo’s puffy cheeks with his index finger. They were really, adorably soft, and Xiao Zhan couldn’t help but recall how they would raise like a fine dough of bread every time Wang Yibo was smiling or eating. In any case, after giving him a few more pokes, at last there were some reactions: Incoherent complaining noises and himself being hugged even stronger. Perhaps this would not be as easy as he thought it would be.

“Yibo, wake up now. I need to go to work.”

Since poking his cheeks did not produce a satisfactory result, Xiao Zhan changed his method and started scratching the back of the other’s head instead. Wang Yibo’s dark hair was also soft and nice to the touch. It made Xiao Zhan wonder if he was sleeping with a human or a spoiled kitty cat. Regardless of that, his tactic this time proved to be effective as the heavy load on his chest finally began to stir, now with a louder complaining noise. Wang Yibo lazily lifted his face, and his small, sleepy eyes met Xiao Zhan’s immediately.

“...Why are you laughing?” were the first words the younger man said; his sluggish voice deep and husky. Had he not mentioned it, Xiao Zhan would not have realized it himself, but he couldn’t help it.

“Your hair,” he said between his giggles, “It’s amazing.”

This wasn’t the first time he saw it, but Xiao Zhan would still laugh every single time. Generally, Wang Yibo’s hair always looked well and nice, more so when he was at work. However, when he had just woken up from sleep like this, for an unknown reason it would become a whole spiky mess that protruded everywhere like some unkempt wild bushes. Neither of them knew how this could come to be in the first place, and even though the younger man was never fond of his bed hair being made fun of, Xiao Zhan always failed to keep himself in check. He could hide his stress, his pain, his sadness - but he was never one who could hide his laughter from breaking out on the spot.

How could he when a sight both funny and adorable was presented before his very eyes?

Wang Yibo, as expected, appeared displeased at his reaction, but did not protest. He shifted upward, lying his face on Xiao Zhan’s chest again, but this time, he also nuzzled into the crook of his neck as he returned to sleep. Xiao Zhan could feel the younger man’s entire body relaxing, a deep sigh being let out of his lungs. If he left this person as it is, surely, he would really fall into slumber once again.

“Come on now, Yibo. I really need to get ready and go to work,” he said, gently shaking the other’s shoulders.

“You don’t have to,” Wang Yibo murmured under his breath, not even bothering to turn and look at him.

“If I don’t work, I can’t eat.”

“I’ll get you something to eat later.”

“Aren’t you leaving for another town this afternoon? How would you feed me?”

To his answer, Wang Yibo finally lifted his head. He looked annoyed, to the point that his lips were curled into this endearing pout. Sometimes it was difficult for Xiao Zhan to take him seriously when he was making this kind of expression, but he had learnt to understand that it was just how this person’s face was shaped since the beginning of time.

“I’ve already tried so hard to forget it. Why do you have to remind me, Zhan- _ ge _ ?” he complained.

“Your ticket has already been bought. You can’t just cancel your flight last minute, can you? It would be a waste of money.”

Xiao Zhan could almost read the movement of those pouty lips mumbling something along the line of “ _ It’s not like it matters _ ”, but Wang Yibo let him go at last, rolling to the other side of the bed. Taking this opportunity, Xiao Zhan rose from the bed, then turned back to tuck the younger man under the blanket once more.

“What?” Wang Yibo stared at him, bewildered.

“You can still sleep for a little while longer,” Xiao Zhan told him, “There’s still time before you get back home to pack your luggage. You came back really late last night, so I’m sure you still need time to rest.”

“Wow, Zhan- _ ge _ , you’re so kind and understanding.”

“Would you prefer if I’m being mean?”

“No, this Zhan- _ ge _ is already the best. I will sleep some more then.”

Xiao Zhan did not say another word but walked away with a smile. It was yet another morning routine for him afterwards, brushing his teeth, taking a quick a shower, getting a change of clothes. When he exited the bathroom, he saw Wang Yibo already sitting on the bed, his bed hair looking even more amazing from this angle. Xiao Zhan always had this thought in mind that he never voiced aloud. Wang Yibo was still young, but whenever he had just woken up like this, not donned in his expensive formal suit or working attire, he always looked even younger than he actually is. Surely, nobody would believe that a kid this young was running a successful multinational company as its president.

A kid, yes. They were six years apart and it was inevitable for Xiao Zhan, who was the older one, to not think of the younger man in this way every now and then, especially when Wang Yibo - whether consciously or unconsciously - really did often behave like one.

“Why don’t you continue sleeping?” he asked while putting away his towel and dirty clothes, and was met with the same drowsy, childlike gaze that could make anyone melt at the sight.

“I’m hungry,” Wang Yibo whined.

“Alright, I’m going to make breakfast now. Go wash your face first.”

He received a sluggish “Mnn” as Wang Yibo finally rose from the bed and left for the bathroom; his steps looking heavy as if he was still half asleep while walking. Xiao Zhan laughed silently once again. He did not mind this person looking and behaving like a child. He would still happily take care of him and love him all the same. Because he knew that with the huge workload and responsibilities he had in his daily life, Wang Yibo might not have many opportunities to be so free and unrestrained like this.

If he could become a place for that person to relax, even for just a little while, Xiao Zhan would be content.

“Zhan- _ ge _ , are you not going back home for Spring Festival?”

After they had breakfast and were both preparing to leave the house, Wang Yibo asked him all of a sudden. Xiao Zhan, who was in the middle of putting on his jacket, turned at him, shaking his head with a smile.

“Not this year. But I will call Grandma and Uncle Li to send them my greeting.” he said,” You’re returning to your hometown today, right? How long will you be there?”

“...Three days,” Wang Yibo replied, snorting in displeasure, “For family gathering and such.”

“It must be fun to have such a huge family.”

“It’s not. They’re annoying.”

As someone who only had two remaining family members, Xiao Zhan failed to understand why the younger man would show such obvious distaste when talking about his parents and relatives. He’d seen stories on the Internet about nosy uncles and aunties, the elders intruding on the younger ones’ personal lives with their endless questions, but Xiao Zhan could only wonder if cases like this would be enough to make one loathed meeting their own family. Nevertheless, he was well aware that he was in no position to judge. All he could do was give this person some encouragement, hoping that it could make him feel better.

“It’s alright. You’ll only meet them once a year,” Xiao Zhan patted his back, “So you’ll be back here on the fourteenth of February?”

“Yes, and attend the company’s Spring Festival event immediately on that very same day,” said the younger man, now with an even more exhausted face although the day had just begun, “I think I can come to see you the next day, if there are no more sudden appointments.”

“...I see.”

Xiao Zhan had no idea what face he was making when giving that answer, but all of a sudden, the displeased, annoyed expression on Wang Yibo’s face vanished at once, and it was replaced with a smug smirk that came out of nowhere.

“Oh, is Zhan- _ ge _ disappointed?” Wang Yibo asked him.

“Disappointed...about what?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me? You’re the one making that kind of face.”

At this point, Wang Yibo had advanced so much without him noticing that Xiao Zhan somehow found his back already against the wall. He was cornered out of the blue, and right in front of him was a literal brat who looked like he had just gained a big upper hand in a competition.

“What are you doing, Wang Yibo?”

“Nothing? I’m just standing here and looking at you,” replied the younger man; a cocky smile still drawn all over his handsome face, “So tell me, why are you making that kind of face?”

“Like I said, what face?”

“Do you really want me to describe it? Fine. You look sad and dejected, as if you’ve been expecting something but discovered that you couldn’t have it. Do you really not want me to go- Oww! Zhan- _ ge _ , why?!”

“You’re making fun of your elder,” Xiao Zhan frowned after having landed a hard, solid flick at the center of the other’s forehead.

“You’re not that much older than me…”

“Doesn’t matter. You’re still teasing me. I don’t like it.”

The way he spoke must’ve sounded quite harsh because the younger man fell silent at once. From the look of it, he was about ready to apologize and repent, but a smile soon rose to Xiao Zhan’s face again.

“...?!!”

“Payback.”

A kiss, no longer than one second, but enough to take Wang Yibo off guard. Xiao Zhan was satisfied at the reaction he received, seeing that smug face in front of him disappeared into thin air and a flush of red started rising to the other’s ears. His happy grin quickly turned into a giggle and then a burst of laughter, finally having that victory to shift to his side. But this, too, did not last for long, because he received a revenge immediately after.

Now, it was Wang Yibo’s turn to kiss him, and his was of course, a fierce, domineering one unlike the playful peck Xiao Zhan gave to him just now. It might have been just a payback, or it might have been a sudden strike of passion erupting out of nowhere. Whatever the reason, this show of maturity and possessiveness were then overtaken by childlike clinginess in the blink of an eye.

And along with it, a hint of weakness.

“Now I really don’t want to go back home,” Wang Yibo buried his face on Xiao Zhan’s shoulder, “I really, really don’t want to go.”

“...It will be alright, Yibo,” once again, Xiao Zhan stroked the back of his head, “It’s just for a couple of days. When it’s convenient for you, let’s talk over the phone?”

The younger man did not say another word. With a gentle push, Xiao Zhan freed himself from the persistent hug and gazed into that pair of dark eyes. They did not possess the usual sharpness and confidence that were usually present. Instead, there was dejection and heaviness. Xiao Zhan smiled at him and patted the top of his head.

“Come on. Let’s go,” he said. This time, Wang Yibo did not complain anymore. The younger man nodded and followed him obediently, and the two of them finally left the apartment, going down to the parking lot.

Xiao Zhan accompanied him to where he parked his car last night. Now before this, whenever he came to visit, Wang Yibo always drove his personal car, the cool blue European sports car, flawlessly brand new and very well taken care of. They discovered later on, however, that in a residential area so modest and humble like this, such a flashy car drew too much attention to the point that Xiao Zhan’s neighbors started talking and questioning things. When he heard about it, Wang Yibo stopped visiting for a few days. The next week, he suddenly came with a new car; a second-hand, inconspicuous black car that was produced a few years back and didn’t look any different from those owned by most middle and lower class residents of the apartment complex. And he had been using that car to come here ever since then.

Xiao Zhan simply didn’t have the heart to tell him that switching cars wouldn’t stop his neighbors from talking since the person driving the ride was still the same, so he never said anything, not even once. Furthermore, the fact that this was the solution Wang Yibo came up with for this issue was nothing less than endearing in its own way. It was just very him, Xiao Zhan sometimes smiled to himself when he thought about it.

“What time will you be arriving in your hometown?” Xiao Zhan asked him as the younger man unlocked his car and sat in the driver’s seat.

“Should be around seven tonight, if there’s no delay,” replied Wang Yibo; the look of despondence was still visible in his face. Xiao Zhan smiled and patted his head again.

“Safe flight,” he said, “Tell me once you’ve arrived there.”

“Is Zhan- _ ge  _ going to work until late?”

“Probably. Spring Festival holiday starts tomorrow, so everyone is buying a lot of things for the occasion. I expect there will be many deliveries to be made today.”

“I see… Then, Zhan- _ ge  _ should be careful, too.”

“I will,” Xiao Zhan nodded, “Well, go on then. I’ll leave after you.”

“Okay… Bye, Zhan- _ ge _ …”

“Bye.”

As reluctant as he looked, eventually Wang Yibo closed his car’s door and started the engine. He threw one last look at Xiao Zhan from behind the window, as though wanting to say something, but the younger man ended up not speaking any more words. The car moved slowly, out of the parking lot, and finally onto the streets. Within less than half a minute, the black vehicle could no longer be seen.

Xiao Zhan remained standing there by himself, watching Wang Yibo’s car until it disappeared into the distance. Puffs of white smoke gathered before his nose and mouth every time he breathed out the winter air. Unbeknownst to even himself, the corner of his lips were ever so slightly pulled into a smile, but this time not a bright, sunny one.

Perhaps Wang Yibo was right. He really did feel a little bit disappointed.

_ “I guess he won’t receive it on that day then…” _

* * *

Spring Festival has always been a huge, festive moment every year. Millions of people would return to their family’s home, the streets and public places all decorated in bright red lanterns and ornaments. Various events and special programs were aired on the national TVs. And as this happened to be the year of the Ox, the strong, hard working animal naturally became the center of the spotlight of the festivity.

One would think an annual celebration such as this would already be busy enough, but the big cities were even more bustling this year compared to smaller towns and the countryside. The case being that this year’s Spring Festival fell on the twelfth of February, exactly two days before the widely known international Valentine’s Day. There are other dates throughout the year where the day to commemorate love are celebrated - multiple dates in fact. Yet it still wouldn’t stop many lovebirds, especially the young ones, to include the international Valentine’s Day as one of the many occasions where they would profess their love to their significant other.

As someone working in the service industry, the week-long public holiday, including the fourteenth of February, was nothing less than hectic for Xiao Zhan. Starting from the beginning of the holiday, even if he’d started work earlier and finished later than usual, the requests for delivery did not seem like they would come to an end anytime soon. Sometimes it was food, sometimes it was things related to the Spring Festival. And other times, it would be flowers and presents that his customers sent to their special ones.

Although he always ended up arriving home spent and exhausted, for some reason Xiao Zhan found joy in working throughout this busy week. It was a different kind of joy than receiving a “thank you” from his satisfied customers. As it was a special occasion, the delivery requests he received were often accompanied by special “instructions”.

He had someone asking him to deliver a bouquet of flowers to an amusement park, where the man who called for his service was apparently about to propose to his girlfriend there, but was worried he would be found out if he already brought flowers beforehand. There was another time when he had to deliver a gift box to a restaurant, where he met a fellow delivery driver whose recipient came out to the door at exactly the same time as Xiao Zhan’s client. It turned out that they were a young couple who planned to surprise each other with a present during dinner, except they happened to think of the same method and ended up revealing their secret because of it.

There were many other weird experiences he encountered, some of them funny while the rest quite touching. Although all these customers were strangers to him, Xiao Zhan couldn’t help but find their efforts admirable - cute even. It was worth all the effort he put in, working during what was supposed to be a time for resting. And in a sense, it made him find his working days more enjoyable rather than merely tedious. 

All that said and done, before he could even realize it, four days had passed in the blink of an eye since the beginning of the long holiday. By the time Xiao Zhan finished his last delivery and returned home, finally throwing his exhausted body onto his bed, it was already so late into the night. In fact, the fourteenth of February was almost over that all the hectic errands felt like a fleeting dream. Perhaps work would finally settle down a little tomorrow, he thought, because the occasion already passed. And maybe it would be alright if he woke up a little bit later, so that he could make up for the lack of sleep in the past few days, restoring his spent energy.

_ “I wonder what Yibo is doing right now…” _ he thought to himself, opening his cell phone.

If there was no change to his schedule, Wang Yibo must’ve returned to this town today to attend his company’s event. Of course, Xiao Zhan did not forget to send him a message earlier in the morning, wishing him a “Happy Valentine’s Day”. There hadn’t been a single reply since morning, and now that Xiao Zhan finally had time to properly check his messages, he noticed that the younger man hadn’t even read the chat he sent. Perhaps the event lasted for a long time and Wang Yibo was fully occupied. Perhaps he was tired and went to sleep early as soon as he got home. He could’ve called to check on him, but Xiao Zhan did not want to be a bother.  _ “Yibo can reply whenever he wanted to” _ \- was what he thought every single time he found his messages not being responded to.

Thus, Xiao Zhan typed in a new short message and sent it to him, followed with a cute sticker of a white bunny carrying a heart-shaped pillow.

_ “Good night and have a good dream.” _

And he, too, fell asleep almost immediately afterwards.

The night went by peacefully. After four days straight of hard labor, Xiao Zhan fell into such a deep slumber that one might think he had fainted. He did not change position even once. His impaired hearing further contributed to his undisturbed sleep, as he could hear no sound or noises from his surroundings that would have otherwise woken up normal people. He had only planned to wake up just a bit later than usual, but it looked like he was going to sleep through the entire day.

That is, if only his phone that was lying next to his pillow did not suddenly vibrate so hard Xiao Zhan almost jumped from his bed.

At first, his startled, drowsy brain thought it was his alarm going off. He picked up the device and looked at the screen with bleary eyes. Yet what he saw was the name “Wang Yibo” clearly written on the display. It took him a few more seconds to realize that it was actually an incoming call. All remnants of sleepiness in him vanished into thin air at once. Scrambling to find and put on his hearing aid, Xiao Zhan picked up the phone.

“H-H-H-Hello?”

_ “Zhan-ge, I’m outside.” _

“Outside what?”

_ “Your house.” _

“My house……… Oh, outside!!”

In his rush, Xiao Zhan threw his phone to the bed and rushed to his feet, stumbling all over the way out. Once he reached the door, he opened it to find a younger man, slightly shorter than him, standing there wrapped in jacket and scarf. His face was slightly marred with a frown and if only Xiao Zhan wasn’t so confused and startled, this person’s sudden arrival would’ve stricken a feeling of  _ deja vu _ in him.

Unfortunately, he was far too distraught to even think of reminiscing.

“Yibo?!” Xiao Zhan exclaimed the other’s name; his voice still raspy as he had just woken up from a deep sleep, “W-Why are you here?”

“To visit you? Why else would I be standing in front of your house?” replied the younger man. Xiao Zhan saw him raising his eyebrows, as if having just received a question way too obvious to be entertained.

“No, I mean- Why now, and all of a sudden? Don’t you need to go to work?”

“Zhan- _ ge _ , it’s still Spring Festival Holiday until the seventeenth.”

“Oh…” Xiao Zhan fell silent, “Then… Why don’t you just let yourself in? I’ve given you a duplicate key, haven’t I?”

And this time, it was Wang Yibo’s turn to become quiet.

“.........I forgot to bring it.”

They both didn’t say anything; a heavy silence lingering in the air. Xiao Zhan noticed then that the tip of Wang Yibo’s nose had turned a little red, perhaps due to the cold weather.

“...Anyway, let’s get in first,” he stepped aside from the door, leaving a space for the younger man to walk in.

Even inside, the silence did not dissipate. After helping Wang Yibo to take off his jacket and allowed him to sit down, Xiao Zhan served him a cup of tea to help him warm his body, then sat down across from him. The stillness was nerve wracking. Usually, this person would’ve started chattering from the moment he put his foot into the entrance, so Xiao Zhan could only wonder what made him so quiet today. Had he said something wrong? Had he done something to displease him?

“So… Why do you want to see me?” unable to stand the pressuring atmosphere any longer, eventually Xiao Zhan decided to speak first. Wang Yibo lifted his face and stared at him for a short while.

“There’s something that I want to ask you,” he said.

“Okay… What is it?”

Instead of a verbal answer, Wang Yibo placed an object on the table. It was the newest merchandise from a famous luxury flower shop. The shape was round like a perfect ball.. The upper half was a transparent glass while the lower half was painted in an elegant grey. A black ribbon was tied right around the middle. Inside, there was a red rose, and standing on top of the vibrant flower was a small figure of a golden doll in the shape of an ox. In its entirety, the merchandise was no bigger than the size of a grown man’s palm. In Wang Yibo’s hands - which size were considerably bigger than most people, it looked even smaller.

[ ](https://imgur.com/CI1S8r6)

Upon laying his eyes on the object, Xiao Zhan’s face was immediately flushed in red, yet at the same time a big smile appeared on his lips, as if on instinct.

“Oh, so you received it after all,” he grinned happily.

“Zhan- _ ge _ , you’re the one sending this to me?”

“Yes. I thought you’d already be back home on the fourteenth, but it turns out you need to attend your company’s event for the entire day,” Xiao Zhan laughed, “Well, it doesn’t matter now, as long as it reaches your hands safely.”

“YOU’RE the one sending this to me?”

“I...am?” not understanding why the younger man had to repeat his question with such emphasis, Xiao Zhan began to draw back a little, “Is it… Is it the wrong thing to do? Should I not pick this as a present after all?”

“N-No, that’s not what I mean…” Wang Yibo immediately corrected himself.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about the price. It’s a luxury item, but I know what things I can and cannot afford. I’ve been planning to give you a present for Valentine’s Day, so I actually do have some extra saving-”

“No, that’s not it,” the younger man cut him off, “I mean… Why this?”

Wang Yibo held the rose ball in his hand and stared at him.  _ “Why did you choose this thing for me?” _ was what Xiao Zhan understood from his gesture. All of a sudden, he felt a bit sheepish. Of course he had the answer, but now that he was about to say it, for some reason it felt embarrassing.

“It’s just… It’s just that I saw an advertisement for this product a little while back. Since this is the year of the Ox and your horoscope is an Ox, I thought… I thought it would suit you.”

“Just that?” Wang Yibo did not take his eyes off him.

“Just that.”

“Is there really nothing else?”

“T-There’s nothing-!”

“Alright,” the younger man leaned back. Xiao Zhan thought the line of questioning was finally going to end, but soon he saw a smirk blooming in Wang Yibo’s now smug expression, “What if I tell you, Zhan- _ ge _ , that I know what makes this brand special from other luxury flower shops?”

Xiao Zhan could feel his face heating up.

“Y-You do...?”

“Mm-hm, I do,” Wang Yibo shifted his gaze to the rose ball, turning it in his hands before looking back to him, “Haven’t you read my replies to your chat last night?”

In fact, he hadn’t. Xiao Zhan remembered he fell asleep immediately after sending his last message and didn’t wake up until a few minutes ago. He quickly picked up his phone and opened up the messaging applications. As expected, there were at least a dozen replies from Wang Yibo that he hadn’t read.

_ “Zhan-ge, I just got home.” _

_ [inserts a photo of the gift] _

_ “I received this today in the mail.” _

_ “Were you the one who sent this?” _

_ “Zhan-ge.” _

_ “Zhan-ge, are you asleep?” _

_ “Is this really from you?” _

_ “Hey, Zhan-ge, answer me.” _

_ “Don’t you know what it means if you send this brand’s flower to someone?” _

_ “Are you saying that you sent this to me while knowing that?” _

_ “If you don’t know, then I’m going to let you know.” _

_ “Once you send it to someone-” _

“You cannot send this brand’s flowers to anyone else ever again.”

Before he knew it, Wang Yibo had crossed over the table and drew close to him, spelling the last message he had written for him to hear. The distance between them suddenly became nothing more than a palm’s width, and as much as he was surprised, Xiao Zhan felt as though his head was about to combust from too much heat.

“This brand is famous because they’re different from the others,” Wang Yibo reiterated, “The recipient of the first flower you order will be the last recipient you can send these flowers to for the rest of your life. If you say that you’re going to send it to a different person, they cannot guarantee that they will deliver your purchase to that new person. In other words…”

The younger man brought up the ball of rose with a golden ox in it, lightly pressing it on Xiao Zhan’s chest.

“In other words, you’ve already decided that I’m the only one you’re going to send these presents to for the rest of your life, am I right?”

Love, passion, desire, admiration - These were the popular interpretations of red roses and they were all equally beautiful. However, when he learnt about this brand in particular, Xiao Zhan thought it had a much deeper meaning than mere romantic words.

Devotion, faithfulness.

He knew this wasn’t the kind of thing that Wang Yibo would like to receive. The younger man did not care much for luxury items. He was already so wealthy, he could perhaps buy every single flower and merchandise that this brand’s store had in stock. Then and now, he might have received far better, more expensive gifts than a single ball of rose with a tiny doll in it.

But still, even if it wasn’t much, Xiao Zhan wanted to give this meaningful present to him. It’s okay if this person didn’t understand the meaning behind it. It’s okay if the rose ball was only going to gather dust in the corner as a mere decoration.

However, as it turned out, Wang Yibo was more than knowledgeable about it and Xiao Zhan was appalled. He wished he could dig a hole right here and jumped inside. And putting that aside, seeing the proud-looking face of the younger man, filled with victory, the sense of defeat embarrassingly ticked him off.

“You little-”

“Nope, not this time,” swiftly, Wang Yibo caught his hand, “What were you trying to do just now, Zhan- _ ge _ ? Pinch my nose? Hit my forehead? Just so you know, I actually have learnt all of your- Ow, ow, ow, ow!!”

“And you seem to have forgotten that I actually have two hands,” Xiao Zhan told him while pinching his waist. The younger man immediately pulled back and curled to the side until he was finally let go. Wang Yibo threw him a displeased glare and a pout, as expected. Although his face was dyed in a deep frown initially, it did not take long for Xiao Zhan’s expression to soften and a smile blooming to his face once again.

“Alright, so you know what I mean by choosing this gift for you,” he said to the younger man, “What do you think about it?”

“What do I think about what?”

“About this present. I do think this little golden Ox looks a little like you. Small, cute, powerful. And rich.”

He laughed at his own joke, a joy that the younger man did not seem to share.

“It doesn’t look like me…” Wang Yibo grumbled.

“So you don’t like it?”

“...I like it,” to his question, he received a shy, quiet whisper as an answer, “If it’s from Zhan- _ ge _ , I like it.”

“Don’t be like that. If anyone gives you a present, you should accept it, as long as it’s given in goodwill.”

“Would you be happy if I accept a present from other people?”

He saw that person staring at him in disbelief after hearing his answer, but as strange as it seemed, it made Xiao Zhan smile a little bit. He gently stroked his soft dark hair.

“Yibo, I can’t stop anyone else from taking a liking to you,” he said, “I’m just one person and you’re surrounded by a lot of people every day. But the fact that you’re here means that you’ve chosen me among all of those people. As long as I know that, I’m happy.”

Xiao Zhan took the flower ball into his own hands. Thinking back about it, this little thing did cost him quite a fortune, but he did not regret a single thing. It might only be a decoration, but if it could help him to convey his feelings…

“Here, Yibo,” he held out the gift to the other person, “It’s a day late, but I’m glad I can directly tell you this. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

There was a dash of surprise, but with a show of a rare smile filled with fondness, the younger man accepted the ball of rose. Xiao Zhan felt his heart swell. Letting out a soft laugh, he shifted forward and gave Wang Yibo the strongest, warmest hug he could manage. He received the same gesture in return, and as that person placed his head on his shoulder, he heard his deep, low voice whispering an answer to his wish.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, too, Zhan- _ ge _ .”

Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the next week, month, year - Whether it was a special occasion or regular days, he hoped they could still spend it together. It doesn’t have to be a grand date, there is no need for a mountain of magnificent presents. As long as this person was well and happy, for as long as Wang Yibo was still looking at him, willing to be with him, Xiao Zhan would continue to love him, listen to him, and be there for him.

Having this person coming into his life was already the greatest gift he had ever received, and he wouldn’t ask for more.

Though, having someone of such high standing and upbringing as a significant other does come with its own quirks and surprises.

The next day, Xiao Zhan woke up to find a giant rabbit half the size of his body, made entirely of roses with every color of the rainbow from that very same brand, sitting right outside of his door.

**Author's Note:**

> A few notes on the topics I included in the fic:
> 
> 1\. According to Google Search, Spring Festival Holiday in China this year falls between 11-17 February 2021, so this is the basis for my fic. The Spring Festival/Chinese New Year itself falls on 12 February 2021, two days before the international Valentine's Day.
> 
> 2\. There are actually multiple days equivalent to Valentine's Day in China (e.g. 520, Qixi Festival, etc), but they do celebrate the international Valentine's Day, as well, on 14 February, especially those in the cities.
> 
> 3\. As most of you might have already guess, the "luxury brand flower shop" I'm referring to in this fic is "Roseonly" that Xiao Zhan represents as the Brand Spokesperson. I discovered an article from 2014 about this brand a little while back, mentioning about their unique system where you can only send their flowers to one recipient for a lifetime, and I based this fanfic on that information. You can read the said article here: https://www.techinasia.com/bouquet-lifetime-person-meet-chinas-us100m-flower-shop
> 
> 4\. The "Ox Rose Ball" that Xiao Zhan gifted to Wang Yibo in this fic is one of their newest products that was first announced early January last month for the 2021 year of the Ox. It's the cheapest one in the series that costs ¥1520 (about $234); the diameter is around 13 cm. More information here: https://www.roseonly.com.cn/list/2020oxyear.html
> 
> 5\. Likewise, the "Giant Rose Rabbit" is one of their high-end custom rose doll that costs ¥159999 (about $24,800); it stands 120 cm tall. Basically it's the most expensive Roseonly product that I can find, so I picked this one (because why not?). The production actually takes around two months to complete, but let's just pretend our CEO boy is able to push it into 24 hour for the sake of his beloved Zhan-ge, yeah? More information here: https://www.roseonly.com.cn/item/5359.html
> 
> In summary, all of the details I've written in the fic are all based on the above information. I apologize if there are any mistakes or inaccuracies. ><


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